Shloka 15
Śrī-nivāsa: Traits and Conditions for the Abode of Prosperity (श्री-निवासः)
वसामि फुल्लासु च पद्मिनीषु नक्षत्रवीथीषु च शारदीषु । गजेषु गोछ्ठेषु तथा55सनेषु सर:सु फुल्लोत्पलपड्कजेषु
bhīṣma uvāca | vasāmi phullāsu ca padminīṣu nakṣatravīthīṣu ca śāradīṣu | gajeṣu goṣṭheṣu tathāsaneṣu saraḥsu phullotpalapaṅkajeṣu ||
Bhishma berkata: “Aku sentiasa bersemayam di tempat-tempat yang indah lagi suci, bertuah lagi bersih—di kolam teratai yang sedang mekar, pada laluan bintang yang jernih di langit musim luruh, di antara gajah-gajah mulia dan kandang lembu yang terurus, di atas tempat duduk yang elok, serta di tasik yang dihiasi teratai biru dan teratai yang berkembang.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A sacred, auspicious force is portrayed as residing where dharmic qualities manifest—cleanliness, harmony, prosperity, and serene beauty. The verse implies that ethical living and well-ordered spaces attract and sustain auspiciousness.
In Bhishma’s discourse in the Anushasana Parva, he describes the abiding places of auspiciousness (or a revered presence), listing emblematic locations—lotus waters, autumn starry skies, elephants, cow-stalls, fine seats, and lotus-filled lakes—to teach what environments signify and support dharma.